The news of Factory Media’s decision to back out of the print media market for all of its magazine titles hit hundreds of people up and down the country hard yesterday.

Factory Media is Europe’s leading specialist sports media company and have said to be investing £1.1 million in “new talent and content”, specifically within video production over each of their sites with all key editorial staff remaining, though unfortunately some jobs in print production will be lost.

“Although moving on from our heritage as a magazine publisher is an emotional shift, it also represents a significant opportunity to create even more content for a significantly larger online audience without the barriers of accessibility and affordability.”
– Darryl Newton, Factory Media CEO

Though terribly sad for every skateboarder who has ever looked forward to the monthly visit to Smiths or for the latest issue to fall through the letterbox, Sidewalk will leave behind a 20 year printed legacy but it will also be onwards and upwards from here on in.
Being able to put all of the time, money and efforts into “building a pixel based monster that will continue to serve the UK skate scene way into the future” with no restraints or deadlines, you can be sure of more coverage, more trips and plenty more footage for your viewing pleasure.

“Back in 1995 we enjoyed the lion’s share of people’s attention and a commitment to buying and cherishing each mag as if it were a golden egg laid by the UK’s very own skateboarding goose. Fast forward through the invention of emails, the internet and a thousand mobile devices and we find ourselves on a very different playing field”

“We will continue to bring you all the content that we’ve been publishing in print form but in a quicker and sharper way. We will continue to track down the best and most deserving skateboarders from around the UK and feature them, free of charge, on your computers, tablets and mobile phones. 

All of the content that you love from the print magazine can and will translate to digital, but with additional footage and other aspects that simply can’t work on paper. Haunts, Interviews, Weekenders, First Lights… you name it, we will be still creating it – only better.” – Andy Horsley

Thank you to Ben, CJ, Andy, Rye, Leo and everybody who has ever been involved in the two decade span of Sidewalk Magazine. You have all played an important part in UK Skateboarding history.

1995 – 2015

All the best for the future! xx

Read the full story from Sidewalk here and keep an eye out for something special from the Sidewalk Girls archive here soon!